The Education Department reached an agreement to formally end the Biden-era SAVE repayment policy, moving nearly eight million borrowers toward established “legal repayment plans” and denying pending SAVE applications, the department announced as part of a settlement with Missouri. The agency said the transition will follow Congress’s timeline in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and that borrowers on SAVE will have a limited window to switch plans. Critics called the move abrupt and warned it will create confusion and financial stress for borrowers; advocacy groups cautioned that some borrowers could be pushed into default without clear alternatives. Education officials said the department will publish tools to help students select replacement plans but acknowledged the online tools will take time to update. The development alters the federal higher-education policy landscape by reversing a major repayment initiative and will affect financial-aid offices, loan servicers and campus counseling services that must help students navigate new repayment pathways.